Journal article
Higher levels of protective parenting are associated with better young adult health: exploration of mediation through epigenetic influences on pro-inflammatory processes
Frontiers in psychology, Vol.6, p.676
2015
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00676/full
PMCID: PMC4446530
PMID: 26074840
Abstract
The current investigation was designed to examine the association of parenting during late childhood and early adolescence, a time of rapid physical development, with biological propensity for inflammation. Based on life course theory, it was hypothesized that parenting during this period of rapid growth and development would be associated with biological outcomes and self-reported health assessed in young adulthood. It was expected that association of parenting with health would be mediated either by effects on methylation of a key inflammatory factor, Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), or else by association with a pro-inflammatory shift in the distribution of mononuclear blood cells. Supporting expectations, in a sample of 398 African American youth residing in rural Georgia, followed from age 11 to age 19, parenting at ages 11-13 was associated with youth reports of better health at age 19. We found that parenting was associated with changes in TNF methylation as well as with changes in cell-type composition. However, whereas methylation of TNF was a significant mediator of the association of parenting with young adult health, variation in mononuclear white blood cell types was not a significant mediator of the association of parenting with young adult health. The current research suggests the potential value of examining the health-related effects of parenting in late childhood and early adolescence. Further examination of protection against pro-inflammatory tendencies conferred by parenting appears warranted.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Higher levels of protective parenting are associated with better young adult health: exploration of mediation through epigenetic influences on pro-inflammatory processes
- Creators
- Steven R H Beach - Center for Family Research, University of Georgia , Athens, GA, USAMan Kit Lei - Center for Family Research, University of Georgia , Athens, GA, USAGene H Brody - Center for Family Research, University of Georgia , Athens, GA, USAMeeshanthini V Dogan - Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa , Iowa City, IA, USARobert A Philibert - Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa , Iowa City, IA, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Frontiers in psychology, Vol.6, p.676
- Publisher
- Switzerland
- DOI
- 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00676/full
- PMID
- 26074840
- PMCID
- PMC4446530
- ISSN
- 1664-1078
- eISSN
- 1664-1078
- Grant note
- R01 HD030588 / NICHD NIH HHS P30 DA027827 / NIDA NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2015
- Academic Unit
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Psychiatry; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984072061502771
Metrics
14 Record Views